Independent OSCE Moscow Mechanism experts: Russia uses violence and repression against Ukrainian civilians
On 25 April, the Report under the Moscow Mechanism on violations and abuses of international humanitarian and human rights law, war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the arbitrary deprivation of liberty of Ukrainian civilians by the Russian Federation was presented at the Permanent Council of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Lithuania’s Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna, Ambassador Vaidotas Verba, in his statement at the Permanent Council of the OSCE, stressed that “the massive, systematic, consistent, and deliberate manner, in which Russian Federation uses arbitrary deprivation of liberty of Ukrainian civilians, leaves no doubt.” This brutal and inhuman practice, that started ten years ago in illegally occupied Crimea, became a part of a wider pattern of the Russian armed forces’ use of violence and repression.
Ambassador expressed Lithuania’s full support to the Mission’s conclusion that “individuals involved in the arbitrary deprivation of liberty of Ukrainian civilians, including members of the Russian armed forces or occupying authorities, have committed both the war crime and the crime against humanity”. He also voiced Lithuania’s determination to make all efforts to hold Russia accountable for the unprovoked unlawful and unjustified war of aggression and all atrocities it committed.
The Report, prepared by three independent experts, Prof. Veronika Bilkova, Dr Cecilie Hellestveit and Dr Elīna Šteinerte, analysed various aspects of the arbitrary deprivation of liberty of Ukrainian civilians used by the Russian Federation in Ukraine’s territories under its control. It also detailed cases of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, sexual violence and other forms of serious mistreatment that Ukrainian civilians were subjected to while in detention.
One of the OSCE Human dimension instruments – the Moscow Mechanism - was invoked at the initiative of 45 OSCE participating States, including Lithuania, and in consultation with Ukraine, for the fourth time to assess war crimes and crimes against humanity committed after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
To read the Report, please click here.
